Implantable medical device and method for coupling an implantable medical device and an external device

Abstract

Embodiments include an implantable medical device (IMD) that includes a control unit, a permanent memory for a device identifier IID, a memory unit that stores a device identifier EID of an external device, a near-field data communication unit and a far-field data communication unit. The control unit, jointly with the near-field data communication unit, detects a third device in the near-field region of the IMD and transmits the device identifier IID of the IMD to the third device. The control unit, following a near-field data communication with a third device, checks any messages received via the far-field data communication unit as to whether the messages include a far-field start message and a device identifier IID of the IMD that corresponds to the device identifier stored in the permanent memory. The control unit sends a far-field response message, which includes the device identifier IID and the device identifier EID.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of pairing an implantable medical device with an external device, wherein the implantable medical device comprises wireless far-field data communication to communicate with the external device and a unique device identifier IID, and wherein the external device comprises a wireless far-field data communication to communicate with the implantable medical device and a unique device identifier EID, the method comprising:
 near-field transmission of the IID from the implantable medical device or of the EID from the external device to a third device in a near-field region of the implantable medical device or the external device,   buffering of the respective unique device identifier IID or EID on the third device,   near-field transmission of the unique device identifier IID from the third device to the external device or of the device unique identifier EID from the third device to the implantable medical device, and   initiation of a far-field data communication between the external device with the unique device identifier EID and the implantable medical device with the unique device identifier IID.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising deleting the unique device identifier IID or EID from the third device once the third device has transmitted the unique device identifier IID or EID to the external device or respectively to the implantable medical device. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the initiation of a far-field data communication comprises sending a far-field start message by the implantable medical device or the external device that has received the unique device identifier EID or IID from the third device, wherein the far-field start message comprises both the received unique device identifier EID or IID and the unique device identifier IID or EID of the implantable medical device or of the external device sending the far-field start message. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the initiation of a far-field data communication further comprises sending a far-field response message by the implantable medical device or the external device that has received the far-field start message and of which the unique device identifier IID or EID is included in the far-field start message, wherein the far-field response message comprises the two unique device identifiers IID and EID included in the far-field start message. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an encryption key via the third device, and wherein the far-field data communication between the implantable medical device and the external device is an encrypted data communication following a successful coupling between the implantable medical device and the external device. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising coupling the external device via the third device with one or more implantable medical devices. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the third device
 generates a temporally limited one-time random value, and   transmits the random value to the implantable medical device and the external device in a respective near-field data communication,   such that the temporally limited one-time random value is
 present both in the implantable medical device and in the external device while pairing the implantable medical device and the external deice, and 
 transmitted to the respective other device via the far-field start message and/or far-field response message exchanged by far-field data communication, wherein a subsequent far-field data communication is triggered only when the transmitted temporally limited one-time random values match. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the third device
 is brought from the external device to the implantable medical device, such that the third device buffers the unique device identifier EID of the external device,   transmits the unique device identifier EID of the external device to the implantable medical device,   receives from the implantable medical device the unique device identifier IID,   buffers the unique device identifier IID,   brought again into a vicinity of the external device, and
 transmits the unique device identifier IID of the implantable medical device to the external device. 
   
     
     
         9 . An implantable medical device ( 100 ) comprising:
 a control unit ( 110 ),   a permanent memory ( 120 ) that stores a unique device identifier IID of the implantable medical device ( 100 ),   a memory unit ( 130 ) that stores a unique device identifier EID of an external device ( 200 ),   a near-field data communication unit ( 140 ), and   a far-field data communication unit ( 150 ),   wherein the control unit ( 110 ) is configured, in combination with the near-field data communication unit ( 140 ), to
 detect a third device ( 300 ) in the near-field region of the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and 
 transmit the unique device identifier IID to the third device ( 300 ) using a near-field data communication with the third device ( 300 ), and 
   wherein the control unit ( 110 ) is configured, following a near-field data communication with the third device ( 300 ) via the far-field data communication unit ( 150 ), to check any received messages as to whether the messages comprise a far-field start message,
 wherein when the messages comprise a far-field start message, the control unit ( 110 ) is further configured to determine, based on the unique device identifier IID included in the far-field start message, whether the received far-field start message is intended for the implantable medical device ( 100 ), and 
 wherein when it is determined that the received far-field start message is intended for the implantable medical device ( 100 ), the control unit ( 110 ) is further configured to
 transmit into the memory unit ( 130 ) of the implantable medical device ( 100 ) the unique device identifier EID included in the far-field start message of the external device ( 200 ) that sent the far-field start message, and 
 generate and send a far-field response message, wherein the far-field response message comprises the unique device identifier IID of the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and the unique device identifier EID stored in the memory unit ( 130 ). 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The implantable medical device ( 100 ) according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the control unit ( 110 ) is further configured, in combination with the near-field data communication unit ( 140 ) following the detection of the third device ( 300 ) in the near-field region of the implantable medical device ( 100 ), to
 receive the unique device identifier EID of the external device via near-field data communication with the third device and to store the unique device identifier EID in the memory unit ( 130 ), and, 
   the control unit ( 110 ) is further configured to check, following a near-field data communication with the third device, any messages received via the far-field data communication unit ( 150 ) as to whether the messages comprise a far-field start message and the unique device identifier EID of the external device corresponding to the unique device identifier EID stored in the memory unit ( 130 ) and,
 wherein if the messages comprise a far-field start message and the unique device identifier EID of the external device corresponding to the unique device identifier EID stored in the memory unit ( 130 ), the control unit is further configured to generate and to send a far-field response message, which comprise the unique device identifier IID of the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and also the unique device identifier EID stored in the memory unit ( 130 ). 
   
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 an implantable medical device ( 100 ),   an external device ( 200 ) and   a third device ( 300 ),   wherein the implantable medical device ( 100 ) comprises a unique device identifier IID and comprises wireless far-field data communication to communicate with the external device ( 200 ) and comprises near-field data communication to communicate with the third device ( 300 ),   wherein the external device ( 200 ) comprises a unique device identifier EID, wireless far-field data communication to communicate with the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and near-field data communication to communicate with the third device ( 300 ), and   wherein the third device ( 300 ) comprises near-field data communication to communicate with the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and the external device ( 200 ), and   wherein the third device ( 300 ) is configured to
 receive one or more of at least one unique device identifier EID from the external device and at least one unique device identifier IID from the implantable medical device ( 100 ) via near-field data communication, 
 buffer one or more of the at least one unique device identifier EID and IID, and 
 transmit one or more of the at least one unique device identifier EID and IID to the other device of the implantable medical device or the external device respectively, by near-field data communication. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the third device ( 300 ) is further configured, in the event of a near-field data communication with the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and with the external device ( 200 ), to
 initiate in the respective device, prior to the transmission of one or more of the IID and EID to the third device, a generation of a respective random number by one or more of a random number generator in the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and a random number generator in the external device ( 200 ),
 wherein the random number is used by the implantable medical device ( 100 ) as the IID and by the external device ( 200 ) as the EID, 
 wherein the random number is transmitted in the near-field data communication to the third device ( 300 ), and 
 wherein the IID and EID each remain valid until a next near-field data communication with the third device ( 300 ). 
   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the third device ( 300 ) further comprises a random number generator ( 340 ), wherein the random number generator ( 340 ) generates a temporally limited one-time random number, and wherein the third device ( 300 ) is further configured to transmit the temporally limited one-time random number in a respective near-field data communication to the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and to the external device ( 200 ). 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the third device ( 300 ) is an operating pen used with the external device ( 200 ). 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the third device ( 300 ) is further configured to transmit an encryption key, wherein the far-field data communication between the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and the external device ( 200 ) is an encrypted data communication following a successful coupling between the implantable medical device ( 100 ) and the external device ( 200 ).